A Prospective Case-Control Clinical Study of Titanium-Zirconium Alloy Implants with a Hydrophilic Surface in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Purpose: To evaluate prospectively the behavior of narrow-diameter (3.3-mm) titanium-zirconium alloy implants with a hydrophilic surface (Straumann Roxolid SLActive) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in single-unit restorations, compared with a healthy control group (assessed using the glycosylated hemoglobin HbA1c test). Materials and Methods: The patients evaluated in this study required single-unit implant treatment; 15 patients had type 2 diabetes mellitus, and 14 patients were healthy (control group [CG]). Marginal bone level (MBL) change around the implants was evaluated using conventional, sequential periapical digital radiographs. Patient HbA1c was assessed in each check-up. Normality test (Kolmogorov-Smirnov), univariate and multivariate logistic regression, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Mann-Whitney U test were used for statistical analysis. Results: No differences in MBL change and implant survival and success rates were found between the diabetes mellitus group (DMG) versus the control group, either during the initial recording (DMG, 0.99 +/- 0.56 vs CG, 0.68 +/- 0.54; P >.05) or 6 months after restoration (DMG, 1.28 +/- 0.38 vs CG, 1.11 +/- 0.59; P >.05). No significant correlation between HbA1c levels and MBL change was detected in these patients (P >.05). Conclusion: Patients with glycemic control exhibit similar outcomes to healthy individuals with regard to the investigated parameters. In light of these findings, the titaniumzirconium alloy small-diameter implants can be used in the anterior region of the mouth in type 2 diabetic patients.